Electrically conducting polymers are well known for their use in electrical and optical devices due to their ability to transport charge. One drawback to these materials, however, is that electron transport in conducting polymers is much slower than hole transport. In order to transfer electrons more efficiently and to enable exciton generation, preformed nanoparticles have been directly blended with conducting polymers. In theory, such a blend should enable the separation of the exciton at the interface between the two materials, such that the polymer is the hole transporter while the nanoparticles are the electron transporters.
Unfortunately, achieving good communication between the polymer and the nanoparticle using existing methods has proven difficult. It is believed that the difficulty arises due to passivation of the nanoparticle surface by surfactant molecules or oxide coatings. Consequently, devices with these compositions can exhibit a variety of problems. Pertinent examples include solid-state heterojunction solar cells that are challenged by poor efficiency, and room temperature solid-state radiation sensors that do not function optimally. Thus, a need exists for new materials and methods that overcome challenges in the art, a few of which are mentioned above. These needs and other needs are at least partially satisfied by the present invention.